[Book 1 Completed] Industrial Mage: Modernizing a Magical World [Kingdom Building LitRPG] 24 – Familiar!

Excitent warred with apprehension within Ethan.

He’d narrowly escaped the horrifying potential consequences of Connecting with a Constellation’s “embrace”—which was very unlike an embrace—and now, the prospect of summoning his [Familiar] was lucrative. Not only was it lucrative, he was looking forward to it. Really.

But how? How to summon the [Familiar]? Will it be dangerous, again? I should’ve asked Derrick. Ethan swallowed. He didn’t tell that Connecting would be that terrifying and could lead to death, however unlikely it may seem to him or whatever Connecting may entail in their culture. He didn’t tell . I don’t want sothing similar to happen again... nope.

Regardless, how to summon his [Familiar]?

Unlike the ritual for establishing the Constellation Connection, Ethan had received no instructions on this seemingly simple task.

He cast his gaze upon the [Familiar’s] information.

Viper (Unnad) — Lvl 0

Species: Viper

Length: 2 ft (0.6 ters)

Appearance: Base scales are a deep obsidian black with an iridescent sheen. Running down the length of its body are shimring cracks, glowing faintly with a chaotic energy that mirrors the Sunder constellation.

Abilities:

[Severing Bite] : Can deliver a magical bite that severs magic and magical protections and weakens enchanted materials.

[Chaotic Aura] : Passively disrupts nearby magic, causing minor fluctuations and malfunctions.

Frustrated at the lack of options to summon, Ethan rubbed his chin.

Surely, there had to be so ritual, so incantation, so way?

He scoured his mories of Derrick’s words. Of what he’d seen. Experienced. It was fairly painful to do that, psychologically speaking, but Ethan knew he had to. He rembered the azure tendrils that had snaked around him during the Connection ritual—It was a physical manifestation of the Constellation’s power. Perhaps the key lay in replicating that experience sohow? After all, the [Familiar] was given to Ethan due to the Connection? So, “tapping” into said Connection with the Sunder Constellation seed to be the most logical thing to Ethan.

Ethan closed his eyes, looking within himself using [Arcane Awareness].

There were a multitude of... energies inside of him. One appeared to be a distinct color of gold, one was green, and one was athyst. Squinting, Ethan found another one.

An azure tendril that practically radiated a sense of power.

He focused on it and raised his hand. It felt like a warm current coursing through him, tingling at his fingertips. He tried to recreate that feeling, picturing the azure tendrils emanating from his own body. It was a clumsy attempt, like trying to rember a half-forgotten dream. Yet, slowly, a faint warmth blossod in his chest, spreading outwards, illuminating him from the inside.

It was weird to look at. His veins, his heart, his organs. He could see them all. He could see their shadows created by the light.

He tried to do sothing with it. That light. He tried to do sothing.

But nothing happened.

Aside from becoming a damn firefly, nothing had happened at all. Dejected, Ethan slumped back in his chair. Am I missing sothing? Given that Derrick used a ritual and even gave potions, is it possible that I need a specific chant, a rare herb to burn, a potion, or even a ritual? Wouldn’t it be hella impractical that way... He sighed.

Suddenly, a mory surfaced. He rembered Derrick ntioning “putting his Connection through its paces.” Perhaps the answer wasn’t so external trigger, but an internal one. With renewed determination, Ethan focused on the Constellation emblazoned on what he could only describe as his soul. It felt like a dormant volcano, a wellspring of untapped power. He willed it to activate, to connect.

The sensation was similar to the warmth he’d felt before, but stronger, more focused. He thought of summoning. It pulsed outwards. “Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!” A jolt of energy shot through him, then materialized into an azure egg outside. A glowing egg. A solid egg. Sothing that ca out of him, sohow, in the form of light then transford into sothing solid—

Crack. Once, twice, thrice. Then another crack. Ethan blinked. The cracks on the egg flared brightly, montarily twinkling like a star from the thousands he recalled looking at in the Constellation—the one he Connected to. Sunder. Are [Familiars], perhaps, those stars? It’s a possibility. Might be a bit far-fetched, but a possibility nonetheless.

The egg twitched, then stilled.

Had it worked?

Hesitantly, eagerly, tentatively, Ethan reached for the egg. As his hand neared the egg, a head snapped out. Startled, Ethan took a step back, then looked at the small snake’s head. He stared as its forked tongue flicked in his direction. Its eyes glowed with a faint, very faint, azure light. There was a spark of recognition, sothing he could only describe as a nascent Connection—he could describe that instinctively, as if that information had been in his brain since forever.

The snake tilted its head as it slithered out of the egg and onto Ethan’s hand. He stiffened with fear. It was a snake. It could be poisonous. But it took rely a mont for the Connection to flare and for Ethan to calm down as he felt his Connection with the snake. He could feel it. He could feel its feelings. Curiosity. Fear. And most prominently, fascination.

He’d done it. He’d summoned his [Familiar].

Carefully, Ethan pulled the viper out from the egg. It coiled loosely around his forearm; its obsidian scales cool against his skin as it curiously tilted its head once more. The egg dissipated into light, and just then, Ethan felt a surge of protectiveness toward the creature. Weird, I can feel that this creature feels the sa toward . Is this what a Connection is? I can’t really give a one-size-fits-all kind of answer given that I’ve seen different kinds of Connections so far, but it’s kind of fair to say that the Connection loosely ans exactly what the word “Connection” entails: a relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with sothing else. Regardless, Ethan knew now—this wasn’t just a pet, a [Familiar], but a partner.

As he held the viper, a new question arose. “What should I na you?” He asked. “Hmm. What about Opie?” Ethan chuckled to himself. It was the na of a dog of one of his friends back on Earth. The viper—or now Opie—tilted its head, but it appeared that it understood what Ethan ant.

Congratulations! You have nad your [Familiar]!

[Viper (Unnad)] -> [Opie]!

Congratulations! [Opie] has been assigned a gender!

[Opie] — Lvl 0 -> Lvl 1!

Opie — Lvl 1

Species: Viper | Gender: Male

Length: 2 ft (0.6 ters)

Appearance: Base scales are a deep obsidian black with an iridescent sheen. Running down the length of its body are shimring cracks, glowing faintly with a chaotic energy that mirrors the Sunder constellation.

Abilities:

[Severing Bite] : Can deliver a magical bite that severs magic and magical protections and weakens enchanted materials.

[Chaotic Aura] : Passively disrupts nearby magic, causing minor fluctuations and malfunctions.

Blinking, Ethan rubbed Opie on the top of his head. Closing his eyes, Opie snuggled closer into his finger. Ethan almost lted. How could a snake be adorable? Was his Connection affecting him sohow? It was a possibility he didn’t mind being true.

A giddy smile spread across Ethan’s face. Opie was surprisingly light in his hand, despite the coolness of his scales. He gently nudged his finger closer, and Opie weaved around it, his obsidian body flashing with a faint, srizing shimr. Ethan chuckled.

This wasn’t what he’d expected. He’d expected sothing formidable, ferocious—so kind of a creature that struck fear into the hearts of their enemies. But Opie was anything but that, and he was quickly stealing his heart. “Alright, little guy,” Ethan murmured, his voice soft. “Let’s see what you can do.”

He reached for his water sack. Opie remained perched on his wrist, watching with wide, curious eyes. Next, Ethan pulled water from the pouch and willed it to form a ball of water. Water blooming into a ball, Ethan nudged Opie toward it. Opie looked at the water curiously, then looked at Ethan. He looked back and forth between the two a few tis, confused, before Ethan said, “Use [Chaotic Aura] first, and then [Severing Bite].”

Opie seed to understand, or so Ethan felt from their Connection. An iridescent sheen appeared around Opie’s body as he used [Chaotic Aura]. Ethan waited, patiently, for it to work against his water ball. But it didn’t. Sighing, Ethan gave Opie a nod to use [Severing Bite]. His body tightening as Opie coiled more, he struck with lightning speed. A faint click echoed in the room as his tiny fangs t the water. Ethan held his breath, waiting for the spell to break apart and the water to fall.

However, nothing happened.

Why?

Disappointnt washed over him. While interesting, both of Opie’s abilities were laughably weak. He needed to level Opie up, and fast. There had to be a way to train him.

Ethan sighed, scratching behind Opie’s head with his fingernail. The tiny viper responded not by nuzzling closer, but by attacking the water with [Severing Bite]. Again. And again. And again. Opie didn’t stop until the water shook and ripples appeared on its surface before the spell fell apart and the water splashed on the ground—

—Only then, Opie turned to face Ethan with those big azure eyes of his, expectant.

Ethan blinked, chuckled like an idiot, and scratched behind Opie’s head lightly, his smile widening as the viper closed his eyes and nuzzled closer.

Well, he’s got the spirit for it, at least. Thinking so, Ethan decided to take a nap. He stunk a bit, but he could take a bath later. He was just tired.

***

A knock on the door startled Ethan from his nap. He glanced down at Opie. The viper was blissfully curled beside him on the bed, seemingly unfazed by the sudden noise.

“Co in,” Ethan called.

The door creaked open, revealing Roland. He held a sealed envelope out to Ethan. Staring at Opie for a mont, Roland furrowed his brows but remained silent about it. Instead, he said, “A letter from Hector.”

Ethan took the envelope, recognizing Hector’s flamboyant seal. He thanked Roland with a nod, then dismissed him with a wave. He scurried out, leaving Ethan alone with the letter.

He tore it open, a sigh escaping his lips as he recognized Hector’s flamboyant handwriting. The first few paragraphs were Hector’s usual self-aggrandizent, detailing how he’d “masterfully” struck a conversation with Baron Montague and secured a eting. Montague was the Baron of Argent, and Ethan had “instructed” Hector to get him a eting. It seed that’d worked pretty nicely.

The tone of the letter shifted abruptly, turning sour and laced with thinly veiled threats. Hector ranted about “certain incriminating evidence” Ethan possessed, specifically a “scandalous little affair” involving a succubus. Hector demanded Ethan keep his lips sealed, threatening dire consequences if the information was leaked. Ethan rolled his eyes, Hector’s theatrics doing little to faze him. He skimd the rest of the letter, finding so good news amidst the bullshit.

Hector was ecstatic about the initial batch of soap that had reached Corinth. Apparently, the people there were going wild for it, with Hector raving about the potential profits. Ethan allowed himself a small smile.

The plan was working.

But Hector’s words also brought a new set of problems to light. While the soap was a success, it was a small-scale operation. Mass production had just begun. Ethan needed factories churning out vast quantities of soap and other necessities. With his [Basic Rune Creation] being at the level 7 and more importantly, Ethan being a Level 3 Human and [Mage] now, he could churn out more rune motes. Yet, building a factory in this dieval world presented a complex challenge. Brick kilns needed improvent, skilled workers were scarce, and the logistics of managing a large-scale production line were daunting.

Ethan leaned back in his chair, Opie slithering curiously up his arm.

He needed a plan.

He needed to figure out how to leverage modern knowledge in this fantastical world. He needed to build not just a factory, but the infrastructure to support it. It was a challenge, but with the success of the soap and a newfound partner in Opie, sothing he could definitely recognize as determination practically ignited within him.

That determination didn’t last long, however—

—because the tax collectors arrived that week, knocking at Holden’s doors.

AN: Here is Opie:

Here's a lil fatty Opie: